Stranger Than Fiction
by thagrrrl79
Summary: AU Kari watched the show because she loved it & it helped her escape. Imagine her surprise when she found out it was all very real. 10/Rose/Jack/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **If you've NEVER read this story, feel free to ignore the rest of the AN. For those who HAVE read this before, please continue reading.

This was a labor of love that I never intended on showing to anyone, let alone posting online. However, after finishing it, I was compelled to share it with others, to amazing results. So amazing, in fact, that I was encouraged and inspired to write a sequel, Incomplete. About half way through the sequel, I realized I may have been in over my head. While I did finish and post that story, I've been working on a serious rewrite of it thanks to my wonderful beta/co-writer, sss979.

In the process of rewriting the sequel, I realized I could do this story so much more justice and decided to do a serious edit on it. NOTHING of the plot has been changed and I think there's only one extra scene added. It was mostly just cleaning up grammar, punctuation, and dialogue. I am much happier with the finished product.

So, if you have read this before, I encourage you to read it again, though know it's not necessary. If you do read it again, I hope that you enjoy it as much, if not more, than you did the first time.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing even remotely related to Doctor Who or Torchwood, only the original character and content.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

The TARDIS landed with its usual jolt, sprawling Rose and the Doctor onto the grating. With a groan, Rose sat up.

"Doctor, where are we?"

"Huh. That's odd."

"What's odd?"

"Well, we were supposed to be going to Barcelona - the planet, not the city - but we're not. In fact, we're far from it."

"I'll ask again. Doctor, where are we?"

"Earth. America. July 2012."

"Why?"

"No idea. Let's find out!"

Grinning, he grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her along. Everything was quiet and still as they stepped out into the night. The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and scanned the surroundings.

"Seems we've landed in the middle of the night, 2 am to be precise, and there's what seems to be rift activity coming from…" He spun until the sonic started flashing rapidly and beeping. "there." He pointed to an apartment complex about a block away.

"Rift activity? Are you sure, Doctor? We're a long way from Cardiff."

"Of course I'm sure! I'm always sure!" he huffed. "This seems to be a slight branch off the main rift. I had no idea it reached this far. Well, let's go take a look, shall we?"

They walked down to the complex. Quietly walking around the building, they discovered that most of the activity was coming from one specific apartment.

"Hmm, we need to get in there, figure out who or what is causing this." the Doctor mused, mostly to himself.

"But, Doctor, as you stated, it's 2 am. Something tells me the person that lives there won't be too keen on being woken up and told they might have some alien in their flat."

He ignored this as he walked around to the front of the building and looked at the list of names next to the call box.

"If my suspicions are correct, then the occupant of that flat is the manager and is thus accustomed to being woken up in the middle of the night."

"And told they might have an alien in their flat?" Rose said with a wry grin and raised eyebrow.

"What? Well, no, but there's a first time for everything!"

Using the sonic, they made their way into the secure building and to the apartment in question.

The first thing that woke Kari up was the familiar sound of a kind of mechanical wheezing. It piqued her interest until she woke up enough to realize it was just a dream. A few moments later, she woke to a kind of high pitched sound outside her window. Again, she realized it wasn't real and went back to sleep.

_Knock, knock, knock_

"Ug, come on, people! It's 2 am!" she groaned, climbing out of bed and slipping some pants on.

_Knock, knock, knock_

"Coming! Hold on!"

She looked through the peep hole and gasped at the sight of two incredibly impossible people. One was a tall, thin man in a brown pin stripe suit, tan duster, crazy hair, and black rimmed glasses. The other was a young blonde woman in a pink hoodie and blue jacket.

"What?" she whispered to herself as she took a step back from the door and shook her head.

"I am clearly still asleep and dreaming because this can NOT be real." Kari said to herself before stepping back up to the peep hole. This time, the man was grinning wide and waving, while the young woman had a very apologetic smile on her face.

"Alright, then, might as well see where this goes." Kari put on her most awake smile as she opened the door. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"Good Evening! Well, night. Weell, morning, but that's relative! I'm the Doctor and this is Rose. Mind if we come in? Thanks!" He flashed some sort of identification and pushed his way into the apartment.

"Doctor!" Rose admonished while stepping in. "I'm sorry, he's a bit rude."

"That's me! Rude…" the Doctor started while scanning the apartment with the sonic.

"And not ginger." Kari breathed as she stared wide eyed at the scene in her living room.

"What did you say?"

"What? Hmm, nothing. Sorry." Kari stammered out, still not quite sure what to make of all of this; still trying to figure out if this was real or not.

"Right. You're the manager here, right?"

Kari nodded before she realized he wasn't looking at her. "Yes, I am."

"Have you noticed anything odd lately?"

This somehow broke her out of her dumbstruck awe. "What? You mean odder than two complete strangers coming to my door at 2 am? A door, I might add, that is within a secure building. How'd you get in?" Kari asked, though she already knew the answer.

"I have a key." he answered matter-of-factly while waving the sonic over his shoulder.

"Right. Well, it would be lovely if someone could please shed some light on just why you're here." Kari stated, getting a bit more confident, mostly because she was sure this was a dream.

Frowning, the Doctor picked up a DVD case from beside the television.

"What's this?"

"Doctor, is that us on the cover?" Rose asked before Kari could answer.

"Yes, it seems to be. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"It's Kari, and that is a DVD set of the second season of Doctor Who."

"A what?" the Doctor asked, looking the case over, front and back. "Where'd you get this?"

"Online. Why?"

"Well, for starters, it's a bit creepy thinking that my life, our lives, is available on DVD. However, it explains why you're not freaking out having a strange man in your living room with a sonic screwdriver."

"To be honest, I'm still not sure if this is a dream or not."

The Doctor put the DVD case down, flopped into a nearby chair, and ran his hands down his face, "Oh, Kari, I assure you this is very, very real."

At this, Kari's knees give out and she started to fall. Rose caught her and helped her to the couch, taking a seat next to her.

"You gonna be ok? Want me to get you some water?" Rose placed a comforting hand on Kari's knee.

Kari just looked at her hand for a moment, realizing she could absolutely feel her touch and it was very much real.

"Hmm? Um, yeah, I'm ok, just a little shocked. I'll be fine. Thank you."

"Now, Kari, you didn't answer my question earlier." The Doctor leaned forward with his arms on his legs. "Have you noticed anything odd lately?"

"Not really, no. This complex is full of people with mental disabilities. Odd is normal for me."

"Mental disabilities? So, what is this, like a care facility or somethin'?" Rose asked.

"No, it's an apartment complex; it just happens to be for folks with mental disabilities."

"Including the manager?" the Doctor calmly asked. Rose shot him a glare that he waved off while watching Kari's face.

Kari laughed, "No, it's not a requirement for the manager."

"How long have you lived here?"

"About two and a half years." Kari said with a sigh.

"Kari, how long have you been battling the depression?" the Doctor asked with a concerned look.

Kari raised an eyebrow, curious as to how he came to that. "This time around or in general?"

"Both."

"In general, probably about twenty years. This most recent bought has been going on for about 6 months or so."

"Doctor, what does this have to do with why we're here?"

"It has everything to do with why we're here," he said as he stood up and started pacing the floor.

"Kari's flat sits on a branch of the rift, which has telepathic abilities. She's been depressed and lonely, especially lately…say, Kari, did anything happen about six months ago to trigger the depression?" he asked mid-lecture, stopping to look at her again.

She swallowed around a lump in her throat. "My divorce finalized."

"And that's around the time the rift started having a great deal of activity, transmitting out her feelings and latching on to the one thing that seemed to be helping," he said as he held up the DVD case, "me."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The trio sat around Kari's dining room table sipping tea. She was still completely baffled and awed by the fact that she had the Doctor and Rose Tyler in her apartment, and they were REAL.

"Ok, so, let me see if I have this straight: a branch of the rift runs under this building, my apartment to be exact, and has been projecting my feelings out as some sort of, what, beacon?"

"Well, yeah, sort of." the Doctor answered over the rim of his cup.

"But, why now? This isn't the first time I've been extremely depressed, nor the first time I've had myself a Doctor Who marathon and it's certainly not the first time they've coincided."

"The rift has had two and a half years to adjust and accommodate to your brain waves. The longer you're here, the stronger the link is going to be. Combine that with how strong your feelings have been in general lately, and you've got yourself a big ole' distress beacon!"

"Distress beacon? You mean, like calling out for help?" Rose asked.

"Precisely. Kari here is depressed, lonely, and in emotional distress. She wants help, but doesn't know how to go about getting the kind she wants. So she does the only thing she can think of: immerses herself in something that will take her mind off the pain. Subconsciously, however, her feelings are calling out for help, and that call is being broadcast across time, space, and possibly universes', looking for the help she desperately wants."

Kari quietly moved to the couch and buried her head in her hands, sobbing. Rose rushed over to put an arm around her, pulling her in.

"It's ok. We're here now. We can help."

Kari sniffed, "I know you can. It's just that…" she trailed off.

"It's just what?"

"It's just that, the main reason why the show is such a comfort is because it gives me the sensation of running away. That's all I really want to do most days. Run away. Get far away from here." Kari finished with a sob.

The Doctor knelt in front of Kari, taking her hands in his, "That's only natural, you know. Not even entirely human. As I'm sure you are well aware, all I do is run away."

"Ah, yes, but at least you have a way to run away. I don't. Not right now, anyway. And I have no idea how to go about it. So I stay here, feeling trapped, stagnant." Kari stated with conviction. "I heard the TARDIS land tonight. Want to know what I felt when I heard it? Hope. Hope that someone was actually coming to take me away from all of this. Then my heart sank when I realized it wasn't real, but a dream. The hope came back briefly when I heard the sonic outside my bedroom window." Kari bowed her head again, feeling foolish and embarrassed.

The Doctor suddenly jumped up with a wide grin on his face. "Alright, that's it! You're coming with us, at least for one trip!" He held his hand out to Kari.

Kari looked up at him with an arched eyebrow, "Are you serious?"

"Yes I'm serious! You need to get away and I have a way to take you away. Put some proper clothes on and come with us." He shook his hand, indicating for her to take it.

She took his hand and cautiously stood up. "But, what about the complex? I can't just leave! What if there's an emergency? And I'm a terrible runner! And…" Kari was cut off before she could finish.

"I have a time machine, remember? I can make sure you're back a mere 10 minutes after you left. As for the running, we just won't get in trouble!"

Kari raised an eyebrow at him again. "Have you forgotten what brought you here in the first place? If what I've seen in the show is any indication to how you actually are, you're terrible at two things: getting people back on time and staying out of trouble."

"She's got you there, Doctor." Rose tried and failed to hide her laughter.

"Hey! I'm getting better at getting people back on time. And I don't always get into trouble! My guess is that the show only shows the good bits, not the boring stuff in between."

"Right, well, I'll just be sure to wear clothes that would be good for running, just in case." Kari gave a grin as she wandered into her bedroom to change.

"Doctor, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Rose, the TARDIS brought us here for a reason. She needs our help. The pain and loneliness radiating off her is extraordinary! She needs something more than a TV show - no matter how brilliant it is - to take her mind off of it."

"But what about after the trip, when you bring her back? You know traveling with you, even just once, changes a person dramatically. You're a bit like a drug."

The Doctor sighed and put his arm around Rose. "I know, but I just can't handle seeing anyone like this. She feels so broken and lost. She needs hope, Rose."

"I suppose you're right." Rose sighed. "I wonder how much she actually knows about us; how accurate that show is."

"Weell, that's kind of another reason why I want to take her with us for a bit. I'm intrigued by this show and want to know just how real it is."

"But what if she knows stuff about our future. Things we really shouldn't know about." Rose asked, concern showing on her face.

The Doctor frowned down at her. "Rose, I'm not new at this. I'm sure she does know about future events and I'll avoid them."

The Doctor grinned as Kari came out in jeans and a t-shirt, hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"Alright! Time to go! Allons-y!"

Kari stood before the blue phone box, openly gaping.

"Holy shit, it's real!" She marveled as she ran her hand along the wood, walking around the box.

"And you haven't even seen the inside!" The Doctor beamed as he unlocked the door, opening it wide so she could step in.

She took one step in and stopped. She knew what to expect, but that didn't change the magnitude of the impact of ACTUALLY being in the TARDIS. It was amazing! She slowly started walking up the ramp, running her hand along the rail until she got to the console. Kari continued her walk around the console, marveling at the various lights, switches, and dials. Once she had done a full circle, she stopped and looked around the room, taking it all in. The TARDIS hummed her welcome.

The Doctor stepped up beside her, startling her as he spoke.

"Well, what do you think? Everything you imagined?"

"More. Much, much more!" Kari breathed as she continued to look around.

"Brilliant! Alright, what'll it be, backwards or forwards?"

Kari snapped out of her awe. "Forwards! Definitely forwards!"

"Forwards it is!" He grinned as he flipped the hand break, the TARDIS jerked, and the rotor went into motion.

Kari stumbled, barely catching herself on the railing.

"When will you start warning new people to hang on for dear life BEFORE you start this thing?" Rose shouted from across the room, pulling herself back up on the railing.

"Why does it have to be my job? You could do it just as easily." the Doctor shouted back while trying to keep standing himself.

"No, it's alright! I should've known. Gods know I've seen enough people get thrown around in here." Kari shouted, arms wrapped tight around a piece of coral.

After a couple of minutes, it all stopped with a jerk, throwing all of them wildly to the floor.

"Everyone alright?" the Doctor asked from about half way under the console.

"Yup, I'm good. Gonna be sore in the morning, but I'm good." Kari stated from her point at the bottom of the coral strut.

"How I don't get frequent concussions traveling with you is beyond me." Rose grumped as she pulled herself up.

"Aww, but you love it! OK, Kari, beyond those doors is a new world. Well, new to you. Well, new to you in person, I assume anyway. Go take a look!"

Kari made her way down the ramp and carefully opened the door. As she stepped out, she marveled at the site in front of her. They sat in a large field of grass; there was a large river with a bridge over it, and a sprawling metropolis on the other side. She took a deep breath and immediately knew where she was.

The Doctor and Rose stepped out behind her, looking around.

"So, any idea where we are?"

"New Earth?" Kari asked over her shoulder.

The Doctor grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Very good! What gave it away?"

"Apple grass." she said with a grin as she knelt down to pick some.

They all sat down in the grass, looking across the river at New New York, Kari in complete awe. She suddenly snapped her head around to look at The Doctor.

"You swear this isn't a dream?" she asked with a bit of severity.

"I swear! Though, would it be so bad if it were a dream?"

"Yes and no. It would be great to dream of such a fantastic place; to be taken away. But it would suck a lot to wake up and find out it wasn't real."

The Doctor cleared his throat and shifted slightly. "Kari, I'm not going to lie, I had other reasons for bringing you with us. First and foremost was to get you away from your mundane life. But I'm also intrigued by this Doctor Who show that connected us in the first place. I want to try to get an idea of how true it is without revealing anything we shouldn't know."

Kari sighed. "I figured as much. I'd be a little creeped out and intrigued, too, if I found out my life was on TV."

"As I'm sure you know, if there's any amount of truth to this show, we have to be very careful what information you give us, so as not to give away too much, if any, of our future. I'm going to ask you questions and you just answer them to the best of your ability, alright? If you think it's something we should avoid, just say so."

Kari nodded. "That sounds reasonable. Will be a good way to hear the stories first hand, too"

He looked around them. "How was New Earth introduced?"

"It was the first trip you two took after you regenerated to this form."

"Good so far. And what happened?"

"You encountered cat nurses, the Face of Boe, and Cassandra, the 'last' human. Rose got possessed by Cassandra."

The Doctor laughed. "Yeah, can't leave her alone for a minute."

"Oi! It wasn't my fault! I went into the lift and that minion of hers rerouted it! Not like I have a sonic screwdriver of my own to fix things like that." Rose stuck her tongue out at him and smacked him in the arm.

"Well, as I recall, you managed to get yourself possessed, too, Doctor." Kari said with a wry grin.

Rose stifled a laugh as the Doctor just frowned.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

As the stories went on, it became evident that their travels were getting close to the Battle at Canary Warf. Kari had already heard about landing in Pete's World (though they didn't refer to it as that) and encountering the Cybermen. The last place they had been when they landed in her universe was Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.

"Before we go on, I have a few filler questions. One: just how the hell were you able to land in my universe and not have to charge anything like you did in that other alternate world?"

"Now, see, that's a very good question. I'm really not sure you were in an alternate universe. If you were, it would've been WAY harder to get out. This is a thought that crossed my mind when I offered for you to come with us. It all makes me think that maybe you're in our universe, which would then pose a whole lot of other questions."

"Such as why I don't remember hearing anything about the various alien attacks on London?" Kari asked.

"Yes, like that."

Kari shrugged. "Well, one theory is that it was all covered up, and being an American, especially one that lives on the west coast, the news didn't really reach us. I'm the first to admit I'm lousy at paying attention to the news."

The Doctor was up and pacing now, running his hands through his hair. "How long has the show been running?"

"Almost fifty years."

"Wow! Really?" Kari nodded and he rolled his eyes. "Wonderful. Am I still the 10th incarnation?"

"Yup."

The Doctor began asking questions about the various adventures his 9th self had with Rose, Kari only giving simple yes or no answers. Then came the big question: "Did I die on Game Station?"

"Yes."

He ventured a glance to Rose, and then asked, "Was it because I absorbed the Time Vortex from Rose?"

Rose frowned as Kari answered. "Yes."

"And did she destroy the Daleks and bring Captain Jack Harkness back to life?" he asked with a shaky voice.

"Yes."

Rose frowned up at The Doctor, "What do you mean I brought Jack back to life?"

Kari knew this could come up; knew there was a very good chance Rose didn't know all of the events that had transpired while she was consumed with the Time Vortex.

The Doctor sat down in front of Rose, holding her hands. "I'm sorry. I should've told you. Before I could take the Vortex from you, you used the power to destroy the Daleks and bring Jack back to life, making him immortal. It's why I had to leave him there."

"You what? You just left him there?" Rose shouted, pulling her hands away and jumping up.

"Rose, I had to! You made him a fixed point in time. He's not meant to be!" he tried to explain, standing up and running his hands through his hair.

Kari sat there, dumbfounded, trying to figure out what to do or say. She decided it best to sit there and wait for them to finish. Much to her surprise, it didn't take long as Rose stormed into the TARDIS, slamming the door.

The Doctor breathed out a huge sigh. "That is not how I wanted that to happen."

"I'm sorry." Kari said in a very small voice. "Maybe I shouldn't have come. I'm just causing problems."

The Doctor looked down, having forgotten she was sitting there. "What? NO! No, no, no! It's not your fault at all! I should've told her about that a long time ago! I got so caught up in finding out just how much of my life you've seen, I completely neglected the fact that this was something I probably should've approached more delicately."

"Again, if the show is any indication, 'delicate' is not exactly your strong suit." Kari stated as she stood up, brushing apple grass off her pants.

The Doctor gave a quick laugh. "Oh, you have no idea!"

Kari decided it was probably best to give the Doctor and Rose some time alone to discuss recent revelations.

"Um, would it be okay if I take myself on a bit of a tour of the TARDIS? I won't go into any rooms with closed doors."

"Hm? Oh, yeah, sure. She won't let you go anywhere you shouldn't and will lead you back here when you're ready." the Doctor answered while putting his arm around a crying Rose, who pulled away from him.

"Right. Thanks."

She walked past the kitchen, bathroom, and infirmary, taking quick glances into all of them, admiring the constant organic coral motif. She came upon what looked like a garden with a lovely stream running through it and gorgeous blue sky above. Taking a stroll, she admired the various flowers, all in amazing colors, most she had never even dreamed of before. Bird song came from somewhere. It was so peaceful.

Deciding to continue her exploration, Kari walked back to the corridor and came to a door with her name on it. She raised an eyebrow in curiosity as she carefully opened the door and peaked inside.

Kari gasped at the sight before her. It was a beautiful bedroom done in earth tones: greens, golds, browns, and oranges. The walls were a soft sage color, as were the two coral struts that were in opposite corners of the room. The floor was hardwood, stained a medium brown, with plush throw rugs in sage. The bed was a gorgeous wooden four-poster, stained the same as the floor. The head and foot boards had daisies etched into them. She smiled, as this was her favorite flower. The bedding was a rich chocolate color with cream accents. There were two night stands, a vanity, and wardrobe, all matching the bed, including the daisy etchings. Off to the side was a private bathroom, also done in earth tones. Taking a moment to take it all in, she flopped down into a big green chair.

"Well, is this your way of saying I'm welcome to stay?" Kari asked to the room while gently stroking the wall next to her. The TARDIS seemed to hum in acknowledgment and delight.

Kari smiled as tears ran down her face. "Thank you."

She leaned her head back, tears still coming, and let out a long sigh. Today had been so very full of emotions and showed no sign of letting up. But, she thought, maybe this was what she needed. No, she knew this was what she needed. It wasn't just the chance to run away, it was a chance to escape into something that was so very her and lose herself in it. She knew that no one would bother her here.

Kari felt bad Rose had found out about Jack the way she had. To top it all off, she knew that everything was working up to Canary Warf, something she so desperately wanted to tell them about, to try to prevent, but knew she couldn't.

The Doctor watched Kari walk down the corridor before directing his attention to Rose.

"Rose, I'm sorry! I should've told you long ago. I just didn't want you to feel guilty."

"Yeah, well, I think that's my decision to make!" Rose snapped through tears and red eyes.

"I know. I know. It wasn't fair of me. I'm sorry."

"Does Jack know?"

"Know what?"

"That I'm the one that brought him back? That he's immortal?"

"I honestly don't know. I'm sure he's figured out the immortal part by now. I'm doubt he knows it was you that brought him back."

"We need to tell him. We need to find him and tell him what happened." Rose insisted quietly.

The Doctor sighed. "Alright, we can do that. I'm not sure how to find him, though."

"Well figure it out!" Rose huffed as she stormed out of the control room.

The Doctor leaned on the console, letting out a long sigh. "Brilliant! Just what I wanted to do. Hunt down an immortal Time Agent to tell him why he's immortal." he mumbled to himself as he started flipping switches to put the TARDIS into the Vortex while he figured out how to find Jack.

Rose walked down the hallway for a bit before she found Kari's room. She wasn't at all surprised the TARDIS had made a room for her. She was the one who found her, after all. Rose took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

Rose slowly opened the door to find Kari in a chair in the corner, clearly having been crying herself.

"We're a right pair, aren't we?" Rose laughed as she took a seat on Kari's bed.

"Heh, yeah. I really am sorry. I wasn't sure how much you knew about Game Station." Kari said as she sat up and wiped the tears away.

"Not your fault. He's the idiot that decided to hide it from me. I told him we have to find Jack to tell him. We're in the Time Vortex now while he figures out how to find him."

"Ah. I wondered where we were off to."

Rose took a look around the room. "Looks like she's outdone herself this time! This is posh!" She ran her hand across the satin comforter.

Kari just beamed. "Yeah, she seems to be good at catching the true essence of her passengers."

"I'm sorry the Doctor's using you as some sort of experiment."

Kari laughed. "I don't mind answering his questions. I just don't like that I know things you may not know. I don't want what happened earlier to happen again."

"Yes, well, I think he's going to give it a rest for a bit. He's focusing on finding Jack right now, which means his mind is at least partially off his life on tele."

"I hope he finds Jack. I'd rather like to meet him." Kari gave a mischievous smile.

Rose laughed and fell back on the bed.

"I take it he's just as handsome in the show, then?"

"Well, since you and the Doctor are spitting images, I can only guess he is, too."

Rose smiled and got up. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see. I'm going to head to my room to freshen up a bit. If your en-suite is anything like mine, I highly suggest taking advantage of the tub. It's amazing!"

"Haha! Yeah, I'm a little sore for our landing and tired from being woken up at 2 am by fictional space travelers."

"Just don't fall asleep in the tub."

"I won't."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** For those that have read this book before, this is the chapter with the new scene. I thought it fitting to post today since John did an interview FINALLY announcing he's been contacted for the 50th Anniversary and they're negotiating. YAY!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

With a bit more force than usual, the Doctor threw the final switch to land the TARDIS. Giving the monitor a quick glance, he grabbed his coat and headed out the door.

He looked around in confusion as he slipped the coat on, curious as to why he'd been brought to Cardiff, and the Rift in particular. His confusion was partially satisfied when he felt the presence of Jack nearby.

"I was wondering if I'd ever see you again." Jack said from behind him as he stepped off the platform.

The Doctor turned around and shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to fight the urge to rush back into the TARDIS and run far away from this impossible man.

"Yes, well, you can thank Rose that I'm even here."

Jack stepped up to the Time Lord and looked him up and down.

"Can I thank Rose for you being pretty in this incarnation, too?"

"Why are you in Cardiff, Jack?"

"I knew you'd show up here to refuel eventually. I just had to wait for a version of you that corresponded with me."

The Doctor looked at the tower that Jack had come from. "What's in there?"

Jack swallowed. "You're not going to like the answer."

"Try me."

"I work for Torchwood." Jack jabbed a thumb at the tower behind him. "That's Torchwood Three."

The Doctor frowned. "Torchwood? I've heard that a few times. What is it? Why wouldn't I like them?"

Jack gave a short laugh. "You really don't know?" The Doctor shook his head. "Do werewolves in Scotland sound familiar?"

The Doctor's eyebrows shot up. "Torchwood Estate! But what does that have to do with anything?"

Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded away from the TARDIS. "Come on, let's take a walk."

The two men walked a little ways away from the tower and police box before Jack spoke again.

"According to our records, after you and Rose were simultaneously knighted and banned from Britain – pretty talented, even for you – Queen Vicki ordered to have a secret institute started to research and track all things alien, the ultimate goal being to protect against attacks."

Realization dawned on the Doctor. "Last Christmas! You lot were the ones that blew up the Sycorax ship!"

Jack nodded while he looked down at their feet. "Yeah, though I had nothing to do with that. That was all Torchwood One." He looked up and smiled at the Doctor. "Good job on your part, by the way."

"Thanks." The Doctor frowned at the other man. "Jack, if you know all of this, why are you working for them?"

"At first, it was a way to make a living. When you left me on Game Station, I tried to come back to 21st century Earth to find you. Only this thing, "he held up his Vortex manipulator, "malfunctioned and I landed about a hundred years too early. Torchwood caught wind of a man who couldn't die and abducted me, blackmailed me into working for them. After a while, I realized it was the best place for someone like me, especially stationed here in Cardiff."

The Doctor nodded as he absorbed everything Jack was telling him. The question of whether or not he knew he couldn't die had been answered. He cleared his throat.

"Jack, do you know what happened on Game Station?"

The other man shook his head. "Not really, no. I remember dying, and then suddenly coming back to life surrounded by what I'm assuming was Dalek ash. When I heard the TARDIS, I went running, only to just miss you." He frowned. "How'd the TARDIS get back? I thought you sent Rose home with it."

"I had, but those two had other plans." He took a deep, shuddering breath as he remembered the events of that day. "Rose looked into the heart of the TARDIS, absorbing the Time Vortex. No one is meant to do that. If a Time Lord did it, they'd become a powerful, vengeful god. Rose being human, it was burning her from the inside out."

Jack's eyes went huge with horror. "Is she okay?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah, she's fine. Pissed as all hell at me right now, but fine none the less." He sighed. "She basically became the Goddess of Time. She's the one that disintegrated the Daleks, and as the last act of the Time War, brought you back to life. But she couldn't control it, so made it permanent. You're a fixed point, Jack."

Jack laughed and shook his head. "She just keeps getting more and more amazing."

A small smile tugged at the corners of the Doctor's mouth. "Yeah, she does."

"Then what happened?"

"Well, like I said, it was burning her; I had to remove it from her. That's what caused me to regenerate."

"Why'd you leave me?"

"You're an impossible thing, Jack. It physically hurts to be around you. I'm actually quite surprised the TARDIS didn't try to take off once she sensed you. As soon as I felt your presence on Game Station, I ran."

Jack took a deep breath and stopped walking, turning on the Time Lord.

"Why are you here, Doctor?"

"Like I said, you can thank Rose for that. She found out in a not so brilliant way about bringing you back and insisted we find you. I think she blames herself."

"She shouldn't. The first few hundred deaths were difficult, and I wished for a very long time that the next one would be the last. But these last hundred years living on Earth have shown me just how amazing life is and it's only made better by knowing it's because of her I'm like this."

The Doctor smiled. "I'm glad you feel that way, Jack, because that's exactly what she needs to hear."

With a nod of understanding, they both headed back to the TARDIS without another word.

Despite Rose's warning, Kari fell asleep in the bath. The water had stayed the perfect temperature the whole time and she just couldn't help it. She was woken up by the jolt of the TARDIS landing. Pulling herself out, she made to get dressed and was only mildly surprised to find the wardrobe full of clothes that were her size and style.

Kari made her way to the control room, led by the sounds of friends seeing each other again after much too long.

"Jack!"

"Hey, Rosie! How ya doin'?"

"Great!"

Kari very cautiously walked in, not wanting to interrupt anything. Jack saw her, however, and raised an eyebrow.

"One just wasn't enough for ya, huh, Doc?" he asked with a smirk.

The Doctor looked over his shoulder to see Kari standing shyly by the jump seat.

"Jack, this is Kari. We picked her up earlier today. It's a bit of a long story."

Jack walked over to her, huge grin on his face and blue eyes sparkling. Kari had a hell of a time staying upright. '_Holy shit, he's gorgeous!_' she thought to herself.

"Lovely to meet you, Kari." Jack crooned while taking her hand to kiss it.

"Jack, stop it."

"What? I can't say hello!" he stated with mock indignity while giving a wink to Kari. She just about melted right then and there.

Kari finally found her voice. "Um, hi, nice to meet you."

"Huh. A shy ginger. Didn't think such a thing existed." Jack said with a grin and wink.

"Did you already tell him why we're here?" Rose asked with a glare fixed on the Doctor.

He nodded. "Yes, I have, and he understands."

Rose started crying again and ran up to hug Jack. "Oh, Jack! I'm so sorry! I had no idea!"

Jack hugged her tight. "Shh. It's ok! It's not your fault! You were only doing what you thought was right. Thank you."

The Doctor leaned back against the console. "Jack, I'd like to say there was something I could do, but I can't."

Jack nodded over Rose's head. "I know. I've come to terms with it. I'm just glad the TARDIS let me in."

Kari gasped at the statement, remembering when the TARDIS had tried to shake Jack off, at least in the show. She hoped no one had noticed, but they did. All three of them turned to look at her. She blushed and covered her mouth.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Is there something we should know?"

Kari shook her head. "No, shouldn't happen now." she said a bit too quickly.

Jack furrowed his brow. "What're you two talking about?"

The Doctor sighed. "Well, it seems that my life has been televised for the better part of fifty years. Kari here is a big fan and we've been trying to work out how much truth there is to the show. We're attempting to avoid anything in our futures."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Jack asked.

Kari sighed. "The TARDIS tried to shake you off in my time. But, since you know now what's going on, that whole event shouldn't happen."

The Doctor ran his hands down his face. "Right. Now comes the tricky part of figuring out what or how anything's been changed without risking too much insight into the future." Turning around, he put the TARDIS back into the Vortex.

Jack, Rose, and Kari sat in the kitchen, drinking tea while the Doctor paced, trying to figure out how to further this information gathering without finding out too much about their future.

"Ok, so, when in your timeline will Jack found out what happened to him?"

"End of season 3."

"And Rose didn't know the whole time?"

"Not as far as I'm aware."

"When did Rose find out?"

"I…I..." Kari trailed off, looking down into her mug.

"Kari, it's ok. She knows now, so it won't be jeopardizing anything." the Doctor urged her on.

Kari took a deep breath. "I honestly don't know if she ever knew."

All three of them looked at her in utter confusion, causing her to blush and look back into her mug.

"Was Rose not there when Jack found out?"

"No." Kari said quietly, still looking into her mug, afraid to make eye contact with anyone. She knew what was coming.

"Now, Kari, I know this isn't easy, and if you think it will tell us too much, just say so, ok?" the Doctor asked calmly. Kari nodded. "Why wasn't Rose there?"

"Sorry, but I can't tell you."

"Great! Fantastic! Bloody brilliant!" the Doctor ranted while pacing and running his hands through his hair.

"What? What's wrong? Is something going to happen to me?" Rose asked with panic in her voice.

Kari couldn't take anymore. She pushed away from the table and started to walk to her room. She got about three steps out of the kitchen before turning back around, fire in her eyes.

"Do you have any idea how incredibly difficult this is for me? Do you realize how much I've already seen?!" She was breathing hard, fists clinched at her sides. The other three just stared, not knowing what to do.

"There is something HUGE coming and I can't say a goddamn thing about it because it's in your future. Gods, I want to tell you SO DAMN BAD! But I can't!" Tears were streaming down her face, itself hot with anger. She collapsed on the floor sobbing.

Jack and Rose went to her to comfort her while the Doctor flopped into a chair and let out an exasperated sigh.

Jack lifted Kari's chin so he could look into her eyes. "Hey! This isn't your responsibility. You didn't know all of that was actually real. How could you? I'm still not clear as to how you're here in the first place, but we can get into that later. Point is that it's not your fault."

"I know it's not, Jack, but it doesn't make it any less painful." Kari gritted out through clinched teeth.

Rose gathered her into a hug and rocked her while she continued to sob. The Doctor got up and walked out of the kitchen toward the console room, Jack hot on his heels.

"Just what the hell are you trying to do to that poor girl? Why is she here, anyway? How'd you find her?" Jack seethed.

The Doctor spun on his heels to stare Jack down. "I'm trying to find out why the hell my life is being televised! How was I supposed to know it would come to this?"

"Because it's your damn life, Doctor! When the hell was it ever simple and void of major catastrophe? Did it not occur to you there were things she knew that would hurt her to not be able to tell you?" Jack growled, standing toe to toe with the Doctor.

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair and turned away. "I know. I know. I'm just too damn curious! Dammit!" He kicked the console, to which the TARDIS responded by spitting sparks at him.

"Now, why is she here? How did this all start?" Jack asked again, calming down a bit.

"Her flat happens to sit on a branch of the Rift. For the last two and a half years, the rift has been adjusting to her brain waves and projecting out her feelings. Recently, those have turned into a sort of distress beacon brought on by severe depression. Couple it with her immersing herself in a show about a daft alien in a blue box that runs from everything and you get the TARDIS taking us to her."

Jack flopped onto the jump seat and blew out a breath. "Whoo! Wow! So you decided to bring her with you so you could find out about the show? That's pretty selfish."

"That's not the only reason we brought her with!"

"And you just reduced her to a heap of sobs on your kitchen floor. Good job, Doc!"

The Doctor wheeled on Jack again. "Do you think I don't know what I just did? I feel horrible! I never intended it to go like this!"

"Right, well, I think it best you leave her be for a while. If the main point of this was for her to run away and escape her current life, the last thing she needs is to have you drilling her for information about yours."

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, you're right. Could you go check on her, please? I'm sure Rose has it handled, but it wouldn't hurt to have another friendly face helping her."

Jack jumped up. "No problem."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Rose watched the guys storm out over Kari's shaking shoulder and squeezed Kari tight.

"Hey, how about we find some place a bit more comfortable and quiet?"

Kari just nodded silently as they stood up. Rose kept her arm around her shoulders as they walked down the corridor. The TARDIS led them back to the garden Kari had found earlier. It was now bathed in gorgeous moon light. They found a bench and sat down, Kari burying her face in her hands again.

"Jack's right, you know? It's not your responsibility to be relaying this information to us. The Doctor never should have put you in that position. This trip was supposed to be a way for you to get away from everything and he's just made it worse."

"I know, and I know I don't have to answer anything. But, like I said, it doesn't make it any easier. It doesn't change what I do know." Kari gave a sigh as she leaned back and looked at the moon.

"Well, I have a feeling he's going to drop it for a while, mostly because I'm going to tell him to." Rose said with a smirk.

Kari grinned as she looked over to her. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the creek and crickets. They were shaken out of their musing as Jack came in and sat down on the bench next to Kari.

"What're two beautiful ladies like yourself doing out at this time of night?" he asked with a grin.

Kari laughed as she turned to look at him. "Oh, my gay boys at home are going to be so jealous when they find out I've met you!"

Jack waggled his eyebrows. "Any of them single?"

Kari just laughed and shook her head.

"How're you feeling, hon? You know he didn't mean to put you through that, right?" Jack asked, placing a concerned hand on hers.

"I'm feeling a bit better. I know he didn't mean to, but, again, doesn't change things. I hope that some events have already changed just by you two finding out about Game Station now instead of later. But I have no idea and no idea how to go about finding out."

"Don't worry about any of it. Some things are just destined to happen and trying to change them may make ir worse. You're supposed to be relaxing, enjoying time away from home. Don't worry about the alien idiot and his questions."

Rose stood up. "Speaking of said alien idiot, I'm going to go talk to him, see how he's doing."

"Don't hurt him too bad, Rosie." Jack called as she walked out of the garden.

Kari let out a long sigh. "Oh, Jack, what am I going to do?"

"About what?"

She turned to look at him. "There is something huge coming VERY soon, something I think can be prevented, but I don't want to go screwing up potential destiny."

"Like I said, Kari, it's not your responsibility."

She sighed. "Did The Doctor tell you how they came about finding me?" Jack nodded. "Well, I think there're a few reasons why it latched onto he and Rose at this point in their journeys. The main one is that they're my favorites."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "And the others?"

"Ah, see, that's where things get complicated!" Kari stood and began pacing. "Like I said, there's something huge coming, something that will change things for the two of them drastically. Well, the whole world, really, but them directly. Something that, if they were to get back to Earth earlier than they did in the show, could be prevented. But do I tell them? Do I see if I can prevent it all, potentially destroying other futures."

"How much do you think would get changed if this was changed?" Jack asked carefully, watching the woman pacing.

"Tons! Some good, some bad, some just different. Obviously, there are several different outcomes, but this specific event could change so much!"

"Well, do you think it'll change my future much if you were to tell me? Maybe I can help you figure out what to do."

Kari stopped to ponder this. She knew that Jack took over Torchwood after the Battle. If the battle was prevented, would that end up completely eliminating those events? And if it did, would that then start a cascade of other events changing? Oh, this made her head hurt! She flopped down in the grass, falling back with her hands on her head.

"I'm going to take that as a giant 'I have no effing clue.'"

"Ug! Maybe I just need to sleep on it."

"Yeah, maybe that is best. Do you have some place to sleep here?"

"She made me a room." Kari said as she sat up, taking Jack's offered hand to stand up.

"Ah, she likes you!" Jack grinned.

"She is the one that found me." Kari said as they walked out and headed to her room and stopped outside the door. "Thanks, Jack. I appreciate you trying to help."

"Hey! No problem! Now, I'm going to go make sure Rose hasn't killed the Doctor." He kissed her on the forehead.

"Goodnight, Jack."

"Night, Kari."

Jack walked back into the console room. Rose and the Doctor were sitting on the jump seat in silence, his arm around her shoulders. The Doctor turned to look at Jack.

"Where's Kari? How's she doing?"

"She's fine. She decided to go get some rest."

The Doctor sighed. "Good. I never meant to put her through that."

Jack walked over and leaned against the console. "Yeah, well, it's probably for the best if you just leave her be for a while. She's stressed with whatever it is that's coming up and is torn as to what to do."

"Did she give you any indication as to what it is?" the Doctor asked.

"She said it was huge, coming soon, that it would change things for the whole world, but you two specifically, and that she thinks it could be prevented, but isn't sure how much would change if it is prevented."

"Whoo! No pressure on her, there!" Rose gave a whistle.

The Doctor got up and started pacing. "What could it be? Oh, blimey, I've felt something coming! I've just been trying to ignore it. I need to stop ignoring such things!" He rubbed his neck.

"What do you mean you've felt something coming?"

"I've felt a storm coming for a while now. Something huge. I've just been trying to ignore it, hoping it would just go away. Something tells me it's not going to and that scares the hell out of me."

"Right. Well, do you think we should find out from Kari what this something huge is, see if it can be prevented?" Jack asked as he watched the Doctor pace.

"I want to, especially if it means it could prevent something horrible from happening. But, her fears are founded. What if this is something that has to happen?"

Rose stood up. "Maybe we all need to get some rest, think this over, and try to figure out how to approach this. I know I'm exhausted and a bit drained."

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, perhaps you're right. We'll tackle this again tomorrow."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The wonderful smells of coffee and toast pulled Kari from her dreams. Sleepily, she slipped on a robe and slippers and made her way to the kitchen, being met there by the Doctor.

"Morning!" he beamed, handing her a mug.

"Morning." she mumbled as she accepted the mug, surprised to see it was done up the way she liked it.

The Doctor sat down across from her. "Kari, I want to apologize for yesterday. I was out of line. I put too much pressure on you."

Kari looked at him over the top of her mug. "It's alright. Just a lot of stress over the whole thing, is all."

"I know. I'm going to try to drop the whole matter, at least for the immediate future."

Kari sighed and set her mug down. "I laid in bed for a long time last night trying to figure out what to do. I came to the conclusion that it would be best to tell you. But only you. It'll be up to you if you want to share the information with anyone."

The Doctor looked her in the eye. "Are you sure you want to do that? You know it'll mean I will take actions to change whatever it is."

"I know. I also know there are several paths everything could go down if events are changed. But this isn't something I can just ignore."

"Alright. Well, do you want to talk about this now?"

Kari raised an eyebrow at him. "Doctor, I haven't even finished my coffee yet. Thank you, by the way. This is delicious."

He laughed. "Fair enough. You're very welcome. Least I could do after what happened in here last night."

Once properly dressed, Kari met the Doctor in the garden so they could walk and talk.

"Alright, so what is this huge thing that's coming?"

"Cybermen and Daleks."

The Doctor stopped dead in his tracks. Kari looked at him over her shoulder, eyebrow raised.

"I told you it was huge."

"But, how?" the Doctor finally found his voice and started walking again.

"Torchwood inadvertently brings them across the void with this contraption in Torchwood Tower in Canary Warf. For two months, these 'ghosts' show up all over the world. People think they're long lost relatives. Every day, the amount of 'ghosts' increase. The 'ghosts' are actually Cybermen; they end up invading this world. At the same time the 'ghosts' come across, a giant sphere containing the remaining members of the Cult of Skaro and a Genesis Arc comes through from the Void. The same time the Cybermen actually materialize as real, the sphere opens. The Genesis Arc gets opened, releasing thousands of Daleks. They begin to battle, tearing London apart, as they do. With all of this, Mickey, Pete, and Jake have also come across to try to help contain the problem." She paused to take a steadying breath.

The Doctor interrupted before she could speak again. "Let me guess. I figure out the only reason to solve it all is to open up the void and have them all sucked in, including the portal itself." Kari nodded. "But, how do I keep myself and others that have gone through the void from being sucked in with them?"

Kari gave a deep sigh. "You find these massive magnets in Torchwood's stores. Your original plan was to send Rose back to Pete's World with Pete, Mickey, Jake, and Jackie. She being Rose, she wants nothing to do with that and comes back to help you. The way the contraption is turned on is by these two giant levers. You attach the giant magnets next to the levers; both of you activate the contraption and hang on to the magnets. Rose's lever detaches and she has to lock it back in place. By this time, Cybermen and Daleks are whizzing past, being sucked in. She tries to hang on to the lever to keep from being sucked in, but can't. Right before she's sucked in, Pete pops back over, grabs her, and takes her back to his world. The portal collapses on itself right after that."

The Doctor is silent for a long time. She sees tears coming down his face.

"I'm so sorry, Doctor." she whispered.

He straightened himself up, wiping the tears away. "No, it's ok. I wanted to know. Do you have an idea of what timeline this is in?"

Kari blew out. "I'm not quite sure, actually. I'd say some time in 2007. I'm not sure when in 2007, though."

"Ah, the joys of time travel!" the Doctor said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "How did we find out about the 'ghosts'?"

"You and Rose went to visit Jackie and she informs you that her dad's 'ghost' is coming for tea."

"Of course it would be her! Wait! The 'ghosts' don't actually interact with people, do they?"

"No, they just kind of meander around."

"Right, well, I suppose that's good. Except the whole Cyberman thing." He blew out a breath and ran his hands through his hair. "OK, now to figure out when this is happening and try to prevent it."

Kari stopped and raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? Just like that? I mean, yeah, it needs to be prevented, but what about the potential outcomes?"

He turned to look at her. "I can't lose Rose. Just the thought of it breaks my hearts. She's the most amazing thing that's happened to me in a very, very long time. I have to stop that from happening. Unless you think there's a reason why I shouldn't stop that?"

Kari's eyes got huge and she turned away, running her hands over her hair. "Dammit! See, that's the problem! I don't know! The only thing I could do at this point is tell you everything that happens after that. But, again, that's giving you a lot of your future. Dammit!" She flopped down onto the nearest bench, staring up at the sky.

The Doctor sat down next to her, leaning his elbows on his knees. "Well, you've already told me a great deal; enough to have already changed things. No matter what, I plan on preventing this whole Cyberman/Dalek thing. At this point, I don't see how much more damage can be done by telling me the rest."

Kari sat up. "Are you sure? That's a lot of information."

"Yeah, I'm sure. We don't have to do it all at once. Actually, I know a quick way to do it, if you're willing."

"Your Vulcan mind meld thing?" Kari asked with a smirk.

"It's not a Vulcan mind meld thing! And, yes, that."

"Yes, well, it would save a lot of time."

They turned toward each other on the bench. The Doctor placed his fingers gently on her temples.

"OK, now, just take deep breaths and relax. If there's something you don't want me to see, imagine there's a door there and close it. I'm only going to be searching out the information pertaining to me. Ready?"

Kari took a deep breath, releasing it as she closed her eyes. "Ready."

"Right, here we go."

The Doctor gently nudged her mind, seeking admittance. Once in, he gradually started searching out the information pertaining to his life. Doors started coming up all around him, closing as he got near. It reminded him of the original reason for bringing her with them. He then came upon TARDIS doors and they stood wide open.

"Well, that's helpful."

All around him, his life unveiled itself: bits and pieces of his 'early' years, great amounts of more recent events, and quite a bit of his future. He quickly flipped through the memories, trying to avoid anything too far out. He mostly just wanted to see what would be changed if he prevented Rose going to the parallel world.

Once he decided he had seen enough, he slowly released his hold on Kari. She let out a gasp as his presence left her mind.

"You ok?" he asked softly.

"Yeah. That's quite the different experience."

"Good different or bad different?" he asked with a frown.

"Just…different." she said with a smile, knowing he'd get the reference. He responded with a grin.

"Right! Ok, now I need to process this and see how much is at risk by my changing events." He jumped up and started pacing. "Time can be rewritten, with a few exceptions. I'm not seeing anything there that a rewrite won't dramatically change. Though, there are people I'll need to seek out on my own, like Amelia Pond. That crack in her wall is nasty. Donna will find me, no matter what. I'm not entirely sure what to do about Martha, though." He looked down at a very skeptical Kari and knelt down, taking her hands in his. "Kari, I promise I will use this information for good, not evil."

She couldn't help but laugh at that. "I know you will, Doctor. It still makes me nervous."

"You have every right to be nervous. It has to be done very carefully. I need to take everything very slowly. Well, as slow as I can take them. First things first, though. Need to figure out when this Cyberman thing starts and stop it before it gets out of hand."

With that, he jumped up and ran out of the garden, leaving a very bewildered Kari.

"This is when everything changes." she whispered to herself, getting up and walking out.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Kari walked into the console room to find the Doctor running madly around the console, flipping switches, typing, scrutinizing the monitor, and babbling about this and that all while a very confused Rose and Jack stood by, looking at each other and then the Doctor. They caught site of her as she walked in.

"Any idea what's got into him?" Jack asked, jabbing a thumb at the mad man at the console.

She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped, not sure what to say. The Doctor looked at her over his shoulder and nodded.

"He knows what's going to happen and is working on preventing it."

Rose turned to the Doctor, wide eyed, jaw dropped. "Is this a good idea? What's going on?"

"It's a long story and I'm not entirely sure it's a good idea. But if I can prevent a battle between the Cybermen and Daleks in London, I'm taking my chances." he said as he turned a dial with a flourish.

"What?" Rose and Jack yelled at the same time.

"You heard me. Now, Rose, call your mum, find out when it is and see if there are any 'ghosts' showing up. If they have been, find out how long they've been around."

Rose nodded as she pulled her phone out and walked out of the control room to call her mom.

"Ghosts? What the hell are you talking about, Doc?" Jack asked, bewildered.

"The big thing that Kari said was coming up is a full on invasion of Cybermen that are coming through the void from an alternate universe we landed in. They apparently start showing up as 'ghosts' all over the world for about two months and then materialize as Cybermen. Daleks also manage to come out of the void."

"Doctor, have you thought this through?" Jack asked, concerned.

The Doctor wheeled on Jack. "Jack, if I don't stop this, there's a very good chance I will lose Rose in this. She'll have to go to the alternate universe to avoid being sucked into the void and I won't be able to get her back. I can't lose her, Jack."

Jack held his hands up. "Alright, alright, I understand. I'll do everything I can to help."

"Thank you, Jack."

Rose walked back in. "Mum says there have been 'ghosts' for about a week or two now. Everyone's been freaking out. She says it's mid-May, 2007."

"Great! Mid May, 2007, here we come!" the Doctor announced as he set the TARDIS in motion, throwing everyone about the room.

The TARDIS came to a familiar bumpy landing outside Powell Estates, sprawling all of her passengers on the floor. They all got up, walked out, and headed up to Jackie's apartment.

"Hi, mum! I'm home!" Rose shouted as she walked through the door.

"Oh, Rose! How are you, sweetheart?" Jackie said as she hugged her daughter. Seeing the Doctor behind her, she swept him up in a hug, too, much to his surprise. "Come here, you silly alien!"

The Doctor stammered. "Um, yes, hi, Jackie. How're you?"

"Wonderful! I didn't expect you to be coming so soon after Rose called."

"How long's it been since I last talked to you, Mum?"

"Day or two, asked about the ghosts. Do you know what's causing them?"

Rose looked at the Doctor. "Wow! I'm impressed! You didn't manage to get us back a year from now." She smiled with the tip of her tongue between her teeth.

The Doctor frowned at Rose as he answered Jackie. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. They're not ghosts. They're very dangerous and I hope we've come in enough time to stop it before it gets out of hand."

Jackie finally noticed the other two more people with them.

"Oi! You got some new people with you, then? Rude of ya, not introducing us." She slapped the Doctor in the arm, and then put her hand out. "I'm Jackie, Rose's mum."

Jack took her hand first, beaming his best grin. "Very nice to meet you, Miss Tyler. Name's Captain Jack Harkness."

"Stop it."

"What, I can't say hello?"

"Oh, you quit! He's just being friendly! And who are you, dear?" Jackie asked as she offered her hand to Kari.

Kari shook it. "Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Kari."

"Nice to meet you, Kari. And how'd he gather you two up."

Kari and Jack looked at each other, then the Doctor. "It's a long story." they both responded.

"Right, I'm sure it is. Nothing's ever simple with this one." Jackie laughed as she slapped the Doctor in the arm again. He glared after her as she headed into the kitchen while Rose tried to stifle a laugh. "I'll just put the kettle on, yeah?"

"Sounds lovely, Mum." Rose said from behind her hand, the Doctor still glaring while rubbing his arm.

They all sat down in the living room. "So, you say you know what's causing these 'ghosts.'" Jackie called from the kitchen.

"Yes. We need to get to Torchwood Tower, which is apparently in Canary Warf. They're what's causing all of this."

"Torchwood is behind this? Are you sure?" Jack asked, surprise in his voice.

"Yes, I'm sure. There's stuff going on there they don't even know about that must be stopped, too. Not only are these 'ghosts' actually Cybermen, but some have already gotten through and have set up shop in the tower, converting people to do their bidding." The Doctor accepted a cup of tea from Jackie.

"What're these Cybermen, then?" Jackie asked, taking a seat on the arm of the couch.

"These ones are a human-made race of beings: metal bodies with human brains, all emotions eliminated. They're sole purpose is to 'upgrade' the human race, making everyone the same. They believe that emotions are signs of weakness. These ones are coming across from an alternate universe that Rose, Mickey, and I ended up in a while back. It's where Mickey is now."

"So, what's the plan?" Rose asked.

The Doctor set his mug down as he let out a sigh. Standing up, he ran his hand through his hair as he started pacing.

"I'm not entirely sure. We need to get to Torchwood Tower and somehow convince them they need to stop with bringing the 'ghosts' over. We also need to get rid of the Cybermen that are already in the tower. And then there's the Dalek sphere."

"Blimey! Piece of cake, then, yeah?" Rose asked sarcastically.

"Is anything ever easy when it comes to us?" he asked with a grin. "Come on, then! Let's head on down there. I'll think of something on the way." He pulled Rose and Kari to their feet.

"You keep my daughter safe, yeah?" Jackie said, poking a finger into the Doctor's chest.

"I promise, Jackie, that I will do everything in my power to keep her safe." The Doctor pulled her into a hug.

Jackie pulled away and looked at Jack and Kari. "You two stay safe, too. I know he doesn't pick just anyone to travel with him, which means you two are special. I want to see you both back here in one piece."

They both smiled. "We promise."

The Doctor clapped his hands together. "Enough of this sappiness! Off to Torchwood. Allons-y!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The Doctor parked the TARDIS about a block away from Torchwood Tower in the hopes they wouldn't find it and confiscate it. The last thing he needed was to have to bust his ship free, too. The four of them stepped out of the TARDIS and stood there staring at the tower in the distance.

"Alright, now what?" Rose asked, looking up at the Doctor.

"Now, we walk in there and tell them what's going on. They're Torchwood. They know who we all are. Well, all of us but Kari. While I might be Alien Threat #1 on their list, they still want me as a resource. Hopefully I can get them to listen to reason before it's too late." The Doctor started walking toward the tower. The others just looked at each other and followed suit.

"Ok, everyone, look out for anything completely out of the ordinary, specifically people with two earpieces that don't seem to be acting quite right. They're more than likely being controlled by the Cybermen. Do not follow them anywhere! Especially not alone! Especially you two!" the Doctor stated while pointing at Rose and Kari.

Rose frowned at his accusation. "I'm not planning on leaving your side!"

"Yeah, I have absolutely no desire to go wandering off when there's god only knows what in that building." Kari answered with a nod toward the tower as they approached it.

"What? You're not afraid something will happen to me?" Jack asked in mock shock.

"You're probably not compatible and you can't die. So, no, not that worried about you right now."

They all stopped in front of the building and took deep breaths as they all walked into the building and up to the reception desk.

"Yes, hi, could you please tell whoever is in charge up there that the Doctor is here regarding the ghosts?"

"The Doctor who?" the receptionist asked, peering over her glasses.

"Just the Doctor. They'll know who you're talking about." he said with a grin.

"Right. One moment please." She pushed some buttons on her phone.

"Miss Hartman? A 'The Doctor' and 3 others are here to see you about the ghosts? Yes mum!" she said with raised eyebrows. "They're sending someone for you now."

"Thank you!"

Within seconds, armed guards descended upon the lobby, aiming their guns at the group. They all turned slowly, arms up in surrender.

"This is who you work for, Jack." the Doctor mumbled to Jack as he glared at the guards.

A middle aged, well-dressed woman stepped out from behind the guards. "Doctor! So wonderful to finally meet you! I've heard so much about you and your various companions. Which ones do you have with you this time?"

"This is Rose Tyler, Captain Jack Harkness, and Kari Maxwell." he said, nodding to each, hands still raised. "May I ask who you are?"

"My apologizes. My name is Yvonne Hartman, Director of Torchwood." She offered her hand. The Doctor lowered his and shook it.

"Is all this really necessary? It's not like we snuck in here." Rose said from behind the Doctor.

"Quite right, Miss Tyler. Guards, you can lower your weapons."

The guards lowered their weapons, but still remained very alert.

"Now, I of course know the good Captain, and have read our files on Dame Tyler, but I've never heard of you, Kari. You must be new." Yvonne said, walking up to the visibly shaken young woman.

"Yes, ma'am, I am." Kari said quietly while slightly hidden behind Jack.

"Fantastic! Now, Doctor, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"You need to stop bringing those 'ghosts' across. They're not what you think they are."

"Why don't you come upstairs and we can discuss this? I'm interested to know what your opinions are on this whole thing." She walked toward the elevator. The group followed her.

"That is my opinion. You need to stop. You're putting the whole world in danger, possibly two worlds since they're coming across the void."

"And why do you say this, Doctor?" Yvonne asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because they're Cybermen, a human-made race of metal bodies with human brains, devoid of emotions. They're sole purpose is to convert all humans to Cybermen as a kind of supreme race. I have reason to believe some have already infiltrated Torchwood Tower and have been converting your employees to do their bidding."

"Interesting, Doctor, very interesting. And how did you come upon all of this information?"

Kari, Rose, and Jack all exchanged glances from their positions behind Yvonne and the Doctor. Just how was he going to explain this? 'Oh, I searched Kari's brain and found out the info from her memories of a show about me' just didn't seem like a very viable answer.

"Do you have any parts of the building that are under mysterious construction?" he asked, avoiding the question.

"A part of the 4th floor was recently closed off for remodeling."

"Seal off that floor to EVERYONE. Post heavily armed guards to make sure no one goes in or out of there."

Yvonne regarded the Doctor for a moment before giving the order to one of the guards in the elevator. "Do as he says. Report any unusual activity you notice down there."

"Yes mum!" the guards stated as they went to seal off the 4th floor.

"You still haven't answered my question of how you came about this information."

"I want to contain the threat as quickly as possible."

As they stepped off the elevator and looked around, Kari saw the levers and the large, blank white wall and tears started streaming down her face. She couldn't help it. Jack noticed this and took her hand, squeezing it. She buried her face in his shoulder. Yvonne noticed as well and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing of it for the moment.

The Doctor took out the sonic screwdriver and started scanning the room, including employees at computers. He saw one with two earpieces and the scan of him came back very, very wrong.

"Do all of your employees where earpieces, Miss Hartman?" the Doctor asked as he paced the floor and put on a pair of red and blue 3D glasses. This made Kari smile and cry harder.

"Yes, they do."

"Do any of them have reason to wear two of them?" He glanced at the employee whose scan had come back wrong and was now eyeing him suspiciously.

"No, they don't. Doctor, what are you getting at? Please start telling me what is going on!"

"I will!" he exclaimed as he walked up to the employee in question.

The employee started to get out of his seat and lunged toward the Doctor. Rose and Kari let out a gasp. "Doctor!" Rose shouted, going for him.

The Doctor pushed the employee back down into his seat and scanned the earpieces. "Just as I thought. Cyberman technology." He looked into the employees eyes with a great deal of sympathy. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." He gave a sonic pulse to the earpieces, deactivating them and causing the employee to scream in pain before he slumped forward. The Doctor turned around to several shocked faces.

Yvonne stormed forward. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing? You just killed one of my employees!"

"He was already dead. He's been under Cyberman control ever since he got that second earpiece."

"Oh, that's just ridiculous! They're just regular communications devices, see?" She stepped forward to pull one of the earpieces off the dead man. She gasped and dropped it as it pulled out brain matter with it. "Oh my god! What is that?"

"The earpieces are directly connected to the brain, allowing the Cybermen to control them. Please have guards round up anyone that has two earpieces and bring them here. Hopefully there won't be many."

The Doctor turned back around to see Jack on the floor with a very unconscious Kari. He ran over to check on her.

"She's fine. She just fainted. I think this is all too much for her." Jack said, holding her head in his lap.

The Doctor sighed. "Yes, I suppose it is. I probably should've left her in the TARDIS."

Kari started to come around. She opened her eyes to two very concerned faces over her. She frowned up at them. "What happened?"

Jack grinned. "You fainted when they pulled that earpiece out. You ok?"

Kari sat up, rubbing her temples. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just overwhelmed."

Jack and the Doctor helped her up and into a chair in Yvonne's office. Someone brought her a glass of water. She sipped it while staring blankly out the window, not entirely coherent of what was going on around her. She thought it better to just kind of blank it all out.

Yvonne took a seat behind her desk, eyeing Kari carefully, while Rose sat down across from her. The Doctor started pacing and Jack stayed near Kari, afraid she might pass out again.

"10 minutes till next ghost shift, mum." an employee announced.

"Stop! Don't do that shift! Don't do any more shifts!" the Doctor demanded.

Yvonne eyed him again before nodding toward the Doctor. "Do as he says. No more ghost shifts."

"Yes, mum."

"Thank you."

"Now, is there any more 'containment' we need to do before you'll start answering my questions?"

"Do you have a giant sphere that you don't know what to do with?"

Yvonne raised her eyebrows. "How'd you know about that?"

"Same way I know about the Cybermen. It's not an immediate threat, however."

"What is it?"

"From what I understand, it's holds some of the most dangerous aliens in time and space, the Daleks. Specifically, the last remaining members of the Cult of Skaro and a Genesis Arc, which is a prison the Time Lords designed to contain thousands of Daleks."

"And you say it's not a threat?"

"Not yet, no. It's waiting to open, but if you stop the ghost shifts, it will stay closed."

Guards started coming in with employees with two earpieces, all of them acting normal, but devoid of emotion in their eyes. The Doctor looked at them, ran his hands through his hair, and turned to Yvonne.

"Do you have someplace where I can, um, relieve them of their burden away from everyone?"

With a look of realization and horror in her eyes, Yvonne swallowed around a lump in her throat. "Um, yes, we have some cells lower in the building. The guards can take you there, and then dispose of the bodies."

The Doctor bowed his head. "Thank you. Rose, Jack, stay here, keep an eye on Kari. I'll be right back."

"Doctor, I'm coming with you!" Rose stood up and started to follow him.

The Doctor turned and took her by the shoulders. "Rose, no, I want you here where it's safe. No one should have to see what I'm about to do. Besides, she needs as much support as possible right now." He nodded toward Kari.

Rose gave the Doctor a pleading look and then looked at Kari over her shoulder. She sighed. "Fine, I'll stay. But you come right back, yeah? Don't go swannin' off, looking for more trouble to get into."

He just grinned. "I won't go swannin' off, looking for trouble." He kissed her on the forehead and followed the guards out.

Rose walked over to Kari and put a hand on her shoulder. Kari looked up at her with a blank, dead look. This was just all too real for her. She wasn't sure what was going to happen, but she hoped it would happen soon so they could get out of there.

"You alright?" Rose asked her with a concerned frown.

"Honestly? No, I'm not. This is all just too much. Maybe I should've stayed behind at your mum's."

"Heh. Yeah, well, not sure it would've been much safer there, either."

They were broken out of their conversation as Yvonne cleared her throat. Rose walked back over and sat back down across from Yvonne.

"Is anyone going to tell me what's going on? She may be new to this group, but she clearly has something to do with all of this." Yvonne demanded, nodding toward Kari.

Rose looked over her shoulder at Jack and Kari and then back to Yvonne. "It's a long story that the Doctor can tell you if he so chooses. For now, you're just going to have to take our word for what's going on. He's already proven there's a threat. He'll explain in his own time and way what's going on."

Yvonne leaned forward and folded her hands on her desk. "Very well, then. We'll just sit here and wait for him to return."

A communications device beeped on her desk. "4th floor secured, mum. No obvious unusual activity. Do you want us to go in and investigate?"

At this, Kari's eyes widened and looked at the device in horror. Yvonne took note. "No, just make sure no one gets in or out. Let me know if you notice anything."

"Yes mum."

Kari took a deep breath and sat back, turning back to the window. They all sat in uncomfortable silence until the Doctor returned.

He pulled up the chair next to Rose, leaning back and putting his feet on the desk. "OK, before I tell you how I know what's going on, I want your assurance that you won't try to detain or harm anyone in my group. We came here of our own free will, through the front door, to work with you on this. I've already proven there's a threat. There's no reason to keep any of us here."

Yvonne pulled herself up and regarded the group. Her eyes landed on Kari and nodded. "I assure your safety. We will not detain or harm anyone in your party and you are free to leave once the threat is eliminated."

"This includes my TARDIS."

She looked back at the Doctor. "Including your TARDIS."

"Thank you. Now, how I came upon all of this information is a bit complicated." He jumped back up to start pacing. "It seems my life is being televised, has been for about 50 years, and Kari there is a fan. In her timeline, this event has already happened, but in about a month and a half and it ended very badly. Normally, I wouldn't venture to prevent something from my future, but I couldn't let this happen."

"That would explain some of her reactions to things." Yvonne nodded, looking at Kari.

"Yes, I probably should've left her on the TARDIS, but I wasn't sure if your goons would end up finding it, anyway. I couldn't take the chance of leaving her to your people."

"How did you come about finding her, Doctor?"

"That's not important to all of this. All that's important is that we prevent the events that happened in her timeline from happening."

"Very well. However, while I have no problems trusting you, how can you expect me to trust her?"

"Because I trust her." The Doctor glared at the woman.

Kari heard this and gave a half smile, still staring out the window.

Yvonne nodded and stood up. "OK. Now, how do you propose we deal with the 4th floor and the sphere?"

"I need to verify the 4th floor has what I think it does. If it does, then the only real way to deal with it would be to blow it up, destroy everything in there. As for the sphere, I haven't quite figured that out yet."

"What about the portal?" Kari asked quietly, still staring blankly.

"What?" the Doctor asked, turning to look at her.

She slowly turned to look at him, eyes glazed over. "What about the portal? It can't just be left open or more things will get through. You still have the same problem in the end as you did before." Her voice was tight and eyes wet with unshed tears.

The Doctor ran his hands through his hair and let out an exasperated sigh. "Right, the portal. I hadn't thought that far ahead." He looked at Yvonne. "She's right; it can't be left open. Too much risk of more stuff coming through."

"We can just dismantle the particle engines."

"It would still leave the portal and too much chance of someone else activating it."

"Doctor, what're we going to do?" Rose asked, putting a concerned hand on his arm.

He looked down at her with concerned eyes. "I'm not sure yet." He turned to Yvonne. "Take me to the 4th floor so I can see if it has Cybermen and their conversion equipment. Jack, come with me. Rose, stay here with Kari. Yvonne, please leave a couple of guards with them, just in case."

Kari stood up and walked over to the Doctor, putting a hand on his shoulder, making him turn around. "You know I know why you're looking at things with the 3D glasses. Tell me, do you see anything around me?" she asked quietly, waving a hand slowly in front of his face as he put them back on.

"No, I don't. I don't see anything around Jack, either."

She just raised an eyebrow at him with a knowing look and walked back to her seat and the window.

"Right! The 4th floor!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Rose watched them walk away before pulling her chair over next to Kari.

"What was that all about?"

"What was what all about?"

"Oh, please don't start sounding like him! I'm talking about the 3D glasses."

Kari sighed and looked at Rose. "He's wearing those to see who or what has void stuff around them. He verified my suspicions by not being able to see void stuff around me. This means I haven't been through the void and you did indeed pick me up in your universe. Jack doesn't have any void stuff, either."

"Oh. Is this good or bad?"

"I'm not sure. It all depends on how he decides to deal with the sphere and portal."

"Kari, what happened in this situation, before, when everything went wrong?"

Kari bowed her head, not wanting to make eye contact. "I'm not sure I should tell you. I told the Doctor that I would only tell him and it would be up to him if, when, and how he told anyone else. He knows how he dealt with it last time and I think he realizes he'll have to do something similar. I just hope he makes the right call."

Rose blew out a breath and leaned back in her chair. "Well, that's fair. I just wish I had a better idea of what was going on."

Kari stood up. "Come on, I'll show you." Rose got up and followed Kari out of the office. The guards tried to stop them. "We're not leaving the floor. I'm just showing her the particle engine." They nodded and let them pass.

Kari walked up and stood between the levers. Rose stood next to her. "These levers activate the particle engine. It fires a beam at that wall," she pointed at the wall before them, "opening up the portal. Right now, it's set up to pull things through from the other side. However, it can be set to suck anything covered in void stuff back through, including itself." She turned to look at Rose, who was looking around, taking in what she had just been told.

"Okay, so, what does that have to do with the 3D glasses?"

"Everything that's been through the Void has void stuff around it. The 3D glasses show that void stuff."

Rose frowned. "I don't understand."

"The Cybermen are coming through the Void from the parallel universe, so are surrounded by void stuff. Anything that's been through it will."

Suddenly a look of recognition came to Rose's face. She turned to Kari with wide eyes. "So, you're saying that when set up to pull in things, it will pull in anything surrounded by void stuff?" Kari nodded. "That would include any Cybermen that have come through, the sphere with the Daleks, the portal itself, and…" she trailed off as she realized what else would get sucked through.

Kari turned back to look at the wall. "And anything else that has gone through the void between the universes."

Rose let out a gasp and put her hand over her mouth. "Like me and the Doctor." she said in a whisper.

"Like you and the Doctor."

Rose walked up to the wall, placing a hand on it. Kari could no longer stop the tears from falling. She couldn't get rid of the image of the Doctor and Rose on either side of the wall, mourning the other. She hoped the Doctor had gotten her hint: that if it came down to having to do that again, he'd let Jack and her do it and get himself and Rose as far away as possible.

"I got sucked in, didn't I?" Rose asked, startling Kari out of her thoughts.

"Not exactly. You almost did, but Pete jumped over from the other world and rescued you. But it meant you were stuck in the alternate universe while the Doctor was here."

"What do you mean Pete jumped over and saved me?"

Kari turned and started walking back to the office. "They're apparently working on ways to get over here to try to contain the Cybermen. Mickey may very well already be here, working undercover in the lab with the sphere. Their jumping back and forth only makes the situation worse as it tears the hole even wider."

They both sat back down in the office, staring out the window.

"Thank you for telling me. I'm sorry we keep putting you through this stuff."

Kari gave a little laugh. "Yes, well, it's actually managed to make me forget about my regular life, which was the main point of me coming with you. That's something, right?"

"Heh. Yeah, I suppose."

Suddenly, they heard and felt a huge explosion below them. They both jumped and turned in their seats, watching the guards as they listened to and talked into their com devices.

"Yes, sir. Yes, they're still here. We'll tell them. Thank you."

"Miss Maxwell, Miss Tyler, they've successfully destroyed the Cybermen and their technology on the 4th floor. No one was hurt. They're going to investigate the rest of the building, as well as the sphere in the basement."

Both women let out a huge sigh. Rose smiled. "Thank you."

Kari seemed to relax a bit more, but not much. The sphere was still there; still a threat. She heard one of the guards talking into his com device again. "Yes, mum. Right away, mum." She looked over to see him walk to Yvonne's desk and turn on a communications screen. On it were the faces of the Doctor, Mickey, and someone in a lab coat that she presumed to be the main scientist working with the sphere.

"Hello ladies! Miss me?" the Doctor beamed and waved.

"Doctor!" Rose exclaimed and ran over to the desk. Kari slowly followed.

"Oi! What about me, then?" Mickey protested.

"Hi, Mickey! I wasn't sure if it was out in the open that you were you." Rose said with a grin.

"Ah, Kari's been telling you more about what happened in her timeline." The Doctor frowned slightly, looking at Kari. She just shrugged.

Rose looked over her shoulder at Kari and then back to the monitor. "I figured the important stuff out on my own."

The Doctor locked eyes with Kari. "Yes, well, I plan on doing things differently this time."

"I know you will." Kari said with a nod, still too numb to show much emotion.

The Doctor's face lit up again as he looked at Rose. "You should see this thing! It's massive! It's everything and nothing all at once. Brilliant!"

"Right, and what are you going to do about it?"

The Doctor sighed, once again looking at Kari. "Exactly what she has in mind, though I don't like it. It's the safest thing I can think of. Jack's already on board with the idea."

Kari nodded her acknowledgement. "As am I."

Mickey looked between Kari and the Doctor. "Someone want to tell me what's going on? Who's that?" he said while pointing at Kari.

"Kari, Mickey the idiot. Mickey the idiot, Kari."

"Oi! I'm not an idiot!" Mickey protested. Kari just grinned and waved.

She then walked up to the monitor. "Doctor, just how the hell is that sphere going to get up here, anyway? Like you said, it's massive."

"I'm still trying to work that out. No one can touch it. I don't want to risk what it would take to open it. As long as it's closed, it's safe."

"Fair enough. So now we just wait, then?"

"Now we wait." the Doctor said, leaning back in the chair.

Kari rolled her eyes and walked away. "Fantastic." She mumbled to herself as she flopped back down in her chair and resumed her staring.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** This is it, folks, the last chapter. To all who read it, whether for the first time or again, thank you & I hope you enjoyed it. My beta and I are close to being done with the rewrite of the second book and will hopefully be able to post that soon.

* * *

**Chapter 10**

It wasn't long before everyone was back in Yvonne's office, including Mickey and the man in the lab coat from the sphere room. Proper introductions were done as they sat down to figure out what to do about the sphere.

"How'd it get down there, anyway?" Rose asked.

"That's where it showed up. We can't find any evidence of the portal being down there, too, though." Yvonne said, taking a seat at her desk.

"No one can touch it, so it can't be moved. We've tried. Even if we could move it, there's no way to get it up here." the man in the lab coat (Dr. Singh, she found out) said, sitting on the edge of Yvonne's desk.

The Doctor was pacing, running his hands down his face. "Alright. We have a giant sphere in the basement that we need to get to the top floor so we can suck it through a hole in a wall. No one can touch it or move it. Even if they could, it wouldn't fit in the hallway or lift, much less the doors to this floor."

"Would the pull from the portal be strong enough to just drag it up through the building?" Kari asked from her corner. She really didn't want to participate, but knew she had little choice at this point.

"Yes, it would, but that would utterly destroy this building, putting you and Jack in way more danger then you would be already. The sheer force of it being pulled up through the floors would make the building collapse around you."

"Would we have to stay for the whole thing? Couldn't we just start the process and get out?"

The Doctor leveled a look at Kari. "What happened in your timeline?"

"Oh. Right." Kari said, deflating a bit.

"However, knowing that, we should be able to make sure it doesn't happen again and you can get out safe."

"Um, excuse me, but what are you two talking about?" Yvonne asked from her desk.

"One of the levers came loose in the middle of the process when this happened in her timeline. We were able to get it locked back into place, but at a cost." The Doctor glanced sadly at Rose before turning back to the group. "First thing that needs to happen is that Mickey here needs to go back to the other universe and destroy those hoppers."

"Right, then, so I suppose I should probably take off so I don't go getting sucked in." Mickey said as he stood up.

Rose stood up, tears in her eyes. "Thank you for helping. I miss you!" She hugged him tight.

He hugged her back. "I miss you, too. But that universe needs me; my gran needs me." He tilted her head up. "You keep that git out of trouble, yeah?" he said as he nodded toward the Doctor.

She sniffed and wiped tears away. "Always do!"

"Alright. Nice meeting you all. Cheers!" Mickey said as he stepped away from Rose and pushed the button hanging from a chain around his neck.

Everyone just stood and stared at the spot he had been for a bit before Jack spoke up.

"What about a way to secure the levers to keep them locked in place? We'd have to do it quickly because that sphere is going to start tearing through the building as soon as that portal is open."

The Doctor nodded. "That's a good idea. Is there anything in your stores that would secure them in place?"

Yvonne nodded. "I'm sure there is. You're more than welcome to take a look."

"Now how to get Kari and Jack out before the building collapses."

"What about your vortex manipulator? Or is it still broken?" Kari asked Jack, staring out the window again.

He frowned at her. "How'd you know it was broken?"

She turned and looked up at him. "Seriously?"

The Doctor walked over, grabbed Jack's wrist and fixed the manipulator with the sonic. "There. Now you two can get out once you secure the levers." He turned to the rest of the group and clapped his hands. "OK, let's get going!"

Kari continued staring out the window while everyone worked around her. She had no idea what was going on but knew someone would come get her when she was actually needed. She just wanted out of there, to be done with all of this.

After what seemed like forever, Jack came and got her. "Time to show you what needs to be done."

Kari stood up and followed him out. She noticed that the TARDIS had been moved into the room; she wasn't sure when that happened. She frowned as she passed it.

"What's that doing here?" Kari asked, jabbing her thumb at the TARDIS.

"Oh! That's so Rose and I can make a quick escape once we get the computer reprogrammed. Once it's gone, you and Jack will pull and secure the levers and then get the hell out." the Doctor explained while zipping between computer consoles.

Kari just nodded as she looked around the room, noticing that the only people left were the Doctor, Rose, Jack, and herself. All Torchwood personnel had been evacuated. They got to the levers.

"OK, it should be relatively simple. The program will tell us when to open the portal. We'll pull the levers up until they lock, then attach these ropes, like this." Jack bent down and demonstrated how they worked. "Once they're secured, we'll meet right here," he said as he stepped to a spot roughly between the levers, "and I'll jump us out of here. A warning: traveling with this thing can be painful."

She gave a small grin. "That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Alright, Jack, everything's reprogrammed and the system is rebooting. That should take about 2 minutes. When it's back up, it'll tell you when to pull the levers. You have the coordinates of where we'll be?" Jack nodded. "Excellent. As soon as the levers are secure, get out of here! Don't wait around, just get out." Jack nodded again.

The Doctor and Rose hugged both of them, and then took off to the TARDIS. Jack and Kari watched it disappear, the sound completely dissipating as soon as the system came back up.

Jack spun to look at Kari with a grin on his face. "Alright! It's show time!" he exclaimed as he ran over to one of the levers.

Kari went to the other lever, heart pounding, waiting for the signal. As soon as the system gave the OK, they both reefed up on their levers, opening the portal. Before they were even up all the way, they could hear the rumbling of the sphere starting to come up through the building. With the levers secured, they ran to each other and Jack jumped them out just as the building started to crumble.

Next thing Kari knew, she was lying on her back in the control room of the TARDIS, aching all over.

"Oh, god, am I dead? If I'm not, I want to be." she groaned as she rolled over to her side, hugging her knees to her chest.

Jack came over and knelt next to her. "I told you it was painful." He grinned as he offered a hand to help her up.

She swatted it away, not wanting to move quite yet. She heard the sound of the sonic, presumably scanning her to make sure she was ok.

"Well, no broken bones or internal bleeding." the Doctor announced happily.

"That's reassuring." Kari moaned into the floor. She finally rolled back over onto her back, putting an arm over her face, shielding her eyes from the lights above her. "Did we do it?"

"We did it!" The Doctor beamed like a little kid. "I was able to watch it on the monitor. The sphere went through and the portal collapsed on itself. The building is completely destroyed, though."

Kari gave a thumb up with her free hand.

After another minute or so on the floor, she finally felt well enough to stand up. She immediately got dizzy and had to sit down in the jump seat. She looked up to find all eyes on her.

"What?"

"Kari Maxwell, you just saved Planet Earth!" The Doctor beamed, bouncing on his toes.

"Jack helped. You all helped. Wasn't just me." Kari protested.

"Yes, but it was you who warned us, despite your misgivings. That was incredibly brave of you." The Doctor sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. He noticed her shoulders started to shake. His eyes got wide with concern. "Kari? What's wrong? Are you ok?"

She started shaking harder and harder until she couldn't contain herself anymore. She fell on the floor in a ball of hysterical laughter. They all stood over her, bewildered.

Once she finally calmed down, she sat up and wiped tears from her face. "Whoo! Wow! OK, I think I feel better now." She stood up. Her three companions were still looking at her with very confused looks. "What now?"

"What was that outburst for?" Jack asked with an amused grin on his face.

"Are you kidding me? It's for everything! It's for two supposedly fictional characters showing up at my apartment at 2 am and taking me with them so I can escape my life. It's for preventing several bad things from happening. It's for saving the freaking planet! The weight of the world has quite literally been lifted from my shoulders!" Kari exclaimed with a huge smile on her face.

"Do you know how completely emotionally numb I was by the time we actually got to pulling the levers? I wanted out of there so bad. I just wanted it all over. Being in the place that caused so much sadness, anger, and destruction was entirely too painful, so I just shut down. To get out of it alive and well and to have succeeded is AMAZING!"

She looked down at her hands and noticed they were shaking. She frowned at them. "I'm shaking. Why am I shaking?" She then noticed tears coming down her face. She looked up at the other three, face full of confusion.

"And there's all those emotions coming to the surface. Come on, hon, let's go to the library and relax and have these fine boys bring us some tea, yeah?" Rose said as she put her arm around Kari's shoulders, leading her down the corridor as she started sobbing.

Kari nodded. "Yeah."

Jack and the Doctor headed off down the corridor to the kitchen and set to making tea.

"Well, now what?" Jack asked.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"This crisis has been averted. You have Rose. You need to tell her."

The Doctor frowned. "Tell her what? She already knows how this ended originally."

"How you feel about her, Doc. You have a second chance with her. Don't waste it."

"She knows, Jack."

Jack leaned across the table. "Does she know, Doc? Does she really know how you feel about her? Because I'll bet you dollars to donuts she doesn't. She hopes you feel the same way about her that she does you, but she doesn't know for sure."

The Doctor leaned against the counter and ran his hands down his face. "Even if I did tell her, I couldn't do anything about it. She's human; I'm Time Lord. We're not exactly compatible. Not to mention the whole she's going to age and die and I won't thing. I want her with me for as long as I can, but it's not fair to her. She deserves better, Jack. I don't deserve her."

"Why don't you let her decide that for herself?"

"I'd have to tell her everything I've done; all the reasons why I have nicknames like the Destroyer of Worlds and the Oncoming Storm. As soon as she hears those, she'll turn tail and run away from me faster than I've run from anything."

"I think she'd surprise you, Doc. She's seen what you can do. She knows you don't always have the easiest decisions to make. You've said yourself she's made you a better person in the time you've known her. Give her a chance."

The Doctor sighed. "I'll think about it."

"Fine. Just don't think too long."

With that, they gathered up the tea and headed to the library.

About 20 minutes later, Jack and the Doctor walked into the library with trays filled with mugs of tea. Rose and Kari were laughing and talking on the couch.

"Feeling better, then?" the Doctor asked with a smile.

"Oh yes! Very much so." Kari said with a huge grin as she grabbed a green mug with daises on it that suspiciously had her name on it.

"Good!"

They all sat in companionable silence for a while, enjoying their tea and watching the fire. The Doctor was the first to speak.

"So, Kari, do you want me to take you home now?"

She set her mug down in her lap and stared off for a bit, thinking.

"I honestly don't know. On the one hand, even with all the emotional stress, this has been a blast! But, I do have a life: two jobs, a cat, bills. All of it. I'm not so naïve to think that I could go traveling with you and just go back to all of that like I'd never left."

The Doctor leaned forward in his chair. "Jobs can be quit, bills can be paid off, and we can accommodate for a cat."

She leaned back and took a sip of tea before pulling her phone out and throwing it at the Doctor. "Could you please do a bit of jiggery pokery on that? I need to phone a friend on this." Kari said with a grin.


End file.
